Hugo kleikeick



(No Model.)

H. KLEINEIGK.

VIOLIN CASE. No. 308,077. I PatentedNov. '18, 1884.

"WW x. mammal STATES ATENI Fries.

VIOLIN-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,077, dated November18, 1884.

. Application filed March 8, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGO KLEINEIcK, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,residing in Newark, Essex county, New Jersey, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Violin-Gases, fully described and representedin the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming apart of the same.

This invention relates to an improved construction of leather and veneercombined with means for strengthening the edges of the case by insertingframing-strips between the veneer and leather.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of my improved case. Fig. 2 is anedge view of the same, with one end shown in section. Fig. 3 is a Viewof the narrow end of the case. Fig. 4 is a view of the wide end; andFig. 5 is a sectional view of the case at the deepest point, indicatedat x x in Fig. 1.

A is the bottom of the case, and B the top; 0, the hinge for the two,and B a swell upon the top to accommodate the bridge, the strings, andthe tail-piece of the violin. The shape of the case is indicated in Fig.1, its peculiarity consisting in the sides being quite straight, as wellas the ends, thus forming four corners, and concealing the shape of theviolin as much as it is possible to do in a case conforming to the shapeof the instrument at all. This concealment of the shape is regarded bymany musicians as a very desirable thing, as when traveling they do notalways find it necessary that their profession should be known; and thiscase, having inclined sides and parallel ends, and resembling many othertravelingboxes in its straight lines, does not directly suggest theusefor which it is designed.

The cases heretofore have usually been made of leather alone, in whichcase they do not well retain their form; or of wood, which is veryliable to damage by accident, and very difficult to repair when broken,on account of its thinness. Wooden cases have also been sometimescovered with leather, but such a construction not only involves a doubleexpense, but results in a very inconvenient weight. To obviate theseobjections I form my improved case with a liningof soft veneers, thestraight lines of the case affording the means of bending such veneerswith the utmost facility, excepting at the swell B, which I form bypressing in a mold of suitable shape, as is commonly done with analogousarticles.

The combination of the veneer and leather requires some peculiarconstructive featuresas, for instance,-the provision of a stiffeningframe or strip along the edge of the parts, all of which is shown inFig. 5. In this section 12 are the veneers and Z the leather, while 8are the strips referred to, the latter being preferably inserted betweenthe veneer and the leather, as shown in the figure, to secure a firmhold upon both by the mere use of glue. The veneers are shown in threelayers, but any number above two may be used, that they may have theirgrain crossed in the usual manner, and they are made to form acontinuous lining for each of the parts A and 13, excepting at the flatends, which are formed by heads h of thicker wood. The leather Z iscontinuous over the Whole top and bottom of the case, especially at therear, as shown in Fig. 5, thus forming a very strong and closejointedhinge, and to exclude the dust from the joint at the front and ends ofthe box I make the strips 3 project beyond the leather on the part A,and the leather project beyond the strips on the part 13, thus forming arabbet, 1', on the bottom, into which the leather of the cover neatlyoverlaps. Were the strips 8 secured to the inner surface of the veneeritself, they" would project inconveniently into the box, and would beeasily loosened, because attached only by one side; but by making themof wedge shape, as shown in Fig. 5, and inserting them between theveneers and the leather, they are firmly held at both their flat sidesby the glue employed, and may be further secured by tacks or rivets, ifdesired. When thus constructed, strips of very small dimensions may beused, and the entire case is thus made very light and neat, whilepossessed of great strength by the composite character of its curved topand bottom.

In addition to the novel appearance my improved shape affords, it alsosecures very important advantages when using veneers to construct thebody of the case, as the straight sides may obviously be produced withless pressure and distortion of the material than any curved forms. Ijoin the sides to the top and bottom of the case with a curve adapted toform straight lines in the direction of the length of the ease, thussecuring a shape into which the material can be bent without theslightest distortion. This curve is shown in Figs. 3 to 5, at c in Fig.4, and may be made of any radius desired. The swe11 B of course producesdistortion of the top at certain points, but this is quite independentof the ease with which the corners c are bent, the material in the swellbeing distended by the dies employed from the material within a fixedarea. Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim isThe violincase constructed with veneers HUGO KLEINEIOK.

WVitnesses:

A. VAN ARSDALE, THOS. S. CRANE.

